Minister President Weil sees need for reform of debt brake
According to Lower Saxony's Minister President Stephan Weil, the debt brake needs to be revised. "We need reform, we need to talk," said the SPD politician in an NDR radio interview on Friday morning. "If, for example, we now have to make our state fit for climate protection and at the same time want to maintain our economic strength, then we will certainly need a state that is capable of acting. We cannot achieve this with the debt brake as it currently stands in the Basic Law," said Weil.
The Federal Constitutional Court had declared the reallocation of 60 billion euros in the federal budget for a climate and transformation fund null and void. The traffic light coalition in the federal government then announced that it would suspend the debt brake for 2023.
Weil reiterated that the decision from Karlsruhe would have no direct consequences for Lower Saxony. However, the state could be hit hard indirectly if payments from the federal government were not made.
In the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung", Weil spoke out in favor of the federal government also suspending the debt brake in 2024. "If there is a legally sound justification for this, that would be a good way forward," said the head of government. However, a fundamental reform of the debt brake is also needed. "We cannot decide this from year to year or only when there is an emergency," said Weil. "We will have to talk about this once the current debate has calmed down a little."
The government's suspension of the debt brake for climate and transformation funding in the federal budget might influence the financial situation of state governments like Lower Saxony, affecting household budgets if federal payments are not made. It's crucial for the government to consider a comprehensive reform of the debt brake, taking into account the need for climate protection and maintaining economic strength within households.
Source: www.dpa.com
